


ILYSB - Track One

by bfcas



Series: Pirate Power! Volume 2: Return to Aracadia Bay Mixtape [1]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Lots of kissing, Songfic, pricefield
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:48:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29404344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bfcas/pseuds/bfcas
Summary: A CD changes the course of Max Caulfield's life forever. (Track One of the Pirate Power 2 mixtape.)
Relationships: Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Chloe Price
Series: Pirate Power! Volume 2: Return to Aracadia Bay Mixtape [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2160078
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	ILYSB - Track One

**Author's Note:**

> "I wonder if Chloe would ever make me a mixtape?" YEP SHE WOULD and this fic is my version of that gift.
> 
> I've put together my own playlist of songs that would go on this CD - ranging from cute to sad to spicy to everything. I've written a oneshot fic for each song and plan to put them all in this series - the Pirate Power! Volume 2: Return to Arcadia Bay mixtape series! They don't all take place in the same universe, I just heard these songs and thought they were so Pricefield, I had to get inspired and write.
> 
> This first fic is based off the song 'ILYSB (Stripped)' by LANY. Hope you enjoy!

“You suck! I am not standing for this!” Chloe yelled, throwing the PS2 controller in Max’s general direction as the flashing victory dance of Max’s street fighter avatar played on screen. Max laughed, pulling her hair back off her face where it had fallen in her eyes during their intense street brawl. Chloe slumped back in the battered car seat, arms folded across her chest and legs stretched in front of her. She was doing her best to sulk, Max could tell, but the smile underneath it all was fooling no one. 

“Oh I’m sorry? Sore loser say what?” Max taunted, resting on the heels of her hands as she smugly grinned at Chloe. Wasn’t her fault if she was Max Caulfield, gaming legend. Or mega nerd, however you viewed it… Chloe flipped her off, a stony glare gracing her features. Even when she acted like this, Max could see the mischievous glint in her eyes and the tug of the corners of her lips where a laugh threatened to bubble out at anytime. Max wished she’d give in; she loved Chloe’s laugh more than any music she’d ever heard. 

“One more round? I can feel it in my bones that I’m gonna kick your skinny white ass.” Chloe asked, reaching over to grab the controller she’d just thrown. Max rolled her eyes. When would she give up trying to beat Max at video games? It’d be like Max continually challenging her to noseflip tailslide 360 spin… Or whatever skaters called it. She still wasn’t up to scratch on her skater lingo. 

“And what happens when you don’t?” Max challenged, still remaining reclined as she watched Chloe reset the game. Chloe looked back at her with a raised eyebrow. 

“I come over there and kick your skinny white ass IRL.” She replied and for a long second, Max couldn’t decide if she was being serious. 

* * *

  
  


It turns out that yes, Chloe was deadly serious.

“Okay, okay, truce!” Max shrieked as she wriggled furiously underneath Chloe’s full weight. Chloe had tackled her as soon as Max had KO’d her, sitting on Max’s stomach and pinning both her wrists to the bedroom floor with her hands. For saying she was as gangly as anything, Chloe had some serious strength in her arms. Max watched as her muscles tightened with the stress of holding Max down and for a split second she fell still just watching her. She was strong but delicate, all thorns hidden amongst flowers winding around tree branches. Max was only cut out of her stupor by Chloe tilting her head back and beginning to collect spit in her mouth, far too loudly. Max’s blood ran cold.

“Chloe. No.” Max panicked, her wriggling kicking back in full force. Chloe just held on tighter. Max kicked her legs and thrashed like a fish out of water as she watched Chloe lean back down with a disgusting glob of spit between her lips. “Chloe! No, no, no!” Max screeched, laughter unwillingly painting her words as Chloe leant in closer. 

“Say I’m the best.” Chloe demanded, holding back the spit whilst still holding Max still. Max shook her head violently, laughter coming out in full force as Chloe squeezed her sides with her knees. 

“Never!” Max declared. Chloe laughed before letting the glob of spit drool a centimetre or so from her lips towards Max’s face, prompting another childish shriek from the younger girl. “Okay, okay, you’re the best! You’re the best of the best!” Max conceded, making Chloe draw the spit back in and grin triumphantly. 

“Damn right.” She nodded. She laughed and regarded the girl underneath her for a second before a mischievous smirk painted itself across her face. “Now tell me you love me.”

Max rolled her eyes. 

“Such a narcissist.” She joked with a shake of her head. Chloe narrowed her eyes at her but Max just stared right back, unwavering, knowing that to beat Chloe Price, you had to play her at her own game. 

“Max, tell me you love me or… Or…” Chloe grasped at straws and Max took her opportunity to cut her off. 

“You’ve got nothing Price. You can’t beat the ultimate street fighter Maxine Caul-”

“Tell me you love me or I’ll so fart on you.” Chloe cut her off, a grin already on her features. Max’s face dropped. 

“You wouldn’t.”

“Oh, wouldn’t I?” Chloe questioned. Max already knew that the girl was a monster and oh yes, she absolutely would. She had done it when they were kids all the time and what was stopping her now? Chloe screwed up her face in concentration and Max knew she had to act fast. 

“Fine, fine, I love you!” She yelped, her words tumbling over each other. “I love you so much, you idiot! I love you more than cameras and cookies and houseplants! I LOVE YOU.” 

Max finished her tirade and there was a moment of silence. She looked up at a thoroughly amused Chloe who looked back with mouth agape. Max felt the blush creeping up on her cheeks but before she could take back what she said, Chloe sat up and released her wrists. 

“Now that wasn’t so hard was it?” Chloe said, lifting a finger to tap at the end of Max’s nose which Max batted away with her newly freed right hand. “Oh and Max?” She continued, smiling down in a way that had Max captivated. “I love you too.” 

Max tried to ignore the skip of her heart, knowing that Chloe just meant it how Chloe had always meant it. Like she loves her like a best friend. Like a friend and nothing more. Not like Max loved her. 

“And I’m sorry.” She added. That made Max furrow her brow in confusion. 

“Sorry? What are you-”

She was cut off by Chloe doing exactly what she promised she wouldn’t. She farted straight on Max. It was like they were 12 years old again and it was as gross as it was then. 

“Oh my god, Chloe, fucking ew!” Max groaned, using her freed arms to shove Chloe square in the chest and send her flying backwards off Max onto her (apparently lethal) ass. Chloe cackled, lying on the floor holding her stomach with the laughter as Max stood up and waved her hands frantically trying to get rid of the smell. “You are unbelievable.” 

“Damn straight. Thanks for noticing.” Chloe retorted after sitting up, her cheeks flushed pink from all the laughing. If it wasn’t for the stupid smile on her face and the way her blue hair stuck up wildly making her look so damn adorable, Max would have flipped her off but instead settled for an unconvincing scowl. 

“Come on, you big baby, let’s find a game you don’t totally suck at.” Max said as she knelt down at the cardboard box of games by Chloe’s tube television. She shuffled through a few boxes, trying to find a karting game or something that Chloe may fare better in lest she pin Max to the floor again. (Well, not that Max was against Chloe pinning her against anything. Maybe just with more kissing and less  _ ass _ ault.) 

“Oh, hey, wait a second.” Chloe said and Max could hear her getting up to join her. However, she was distracted by the CD case she had found tucked amongst a few Final Fantasy cases. Max pulled it out, her nosy instincts not failing her now.

It was a clear case and was a plain CD with some writing scrawled onto it in blue marker but before Max could read the words, the case was snatched from her hands. Max turned her head and saw a sheepish looking Chloe holding the CD behind her back. She furrowed her brow in confusion. 

“Whatcha hiding, Price?” She teased, craning her head to try and see what Chloe was hiding. Chloe just shrugged. 

“Nothing.” She replied unconvincingly. Max just stared at her, not believing the poorly told lie. Chloe shuffled nervously under Max’s gaze. “It’s nothing!” She tried to reassure her. 

“Then show me.” Max held out a hand, prompting Chloe to hand it over. She watched the older girl think it over for what seemed hours until she shook her head. Max sagged in disappointment but kept her hand outstretched. “Chloe Elizabeth Price. Hand it over.” 

Chloe scowled at Max full-naming her. Max knew it was her secret power (Well, besides the time travel thing but whatever…) and that breaking out the middle name was the way to get Chloe to do whatever she wanted. 

“Fine,” Chloe sighed. “But you have to promise me you won’t laugh.” 

Max took her non-outstretched hand and crooked her index finger into a hook shape. 

“Pirate’s promise.” She nodded, making Chloe smile. It was how they’d made promises to each other since they could remember. No pinky promises, they’d decided; a pirate’s promise was so much more binding. 

Chloe made a hook out of her finger too, smiling as she linked it with Max’s, squeezing for a moment before dropping her hand back down.

“Okay. Okay, fine.” Chloe conceded, presenting the CD from behind her back and putting it into Max’s hand. She held onto it for half a second, as if changing her mind, before dropping her hand completely into her lap, leaving the CD in Max’s. 

Max turned it over and instantly felt her cheeks stretch with her stupid smile at the writing. In scrawling blue pen, Chloe had written ‘Pirate Power! Volume 2: Return to Arcadia Bay’ and underneath she had drawn the two of them as pirates - just like the CD Max had made for her six years ago. This was the coolest and sweetest thing, why was Chloe so embarrassed?  _ Probably trying to keep up that punk IDGAF ‘tude,  _ Max decided. But Chloe did GAF, Max knew that. It was one of the reasons Max loved her - the fierce loyalty and love she had for those she cared for and Max was fortunate to be on that elite list. 

“Chloe, I love it!” Max beamed, feeling Chloe nervously watching her for a reaction. She looked up just in time to catch Chloe’s relieved smile. Then she caught Max looking and feigned disinterest, clambering back into her car seat again. But Max wasn’t letting her get away that easy. She crossed the small space of floor and threw her arms around Chloe, burying her head in the crook of her best friend’s neck. “Thank you.”

She felt Chloe stay stiff for a moment before she relaxed and brought a hand up to grab onto Max’s arms. She tilted her head and rested it atop Max’s. 

“No problem, Maximus.” She spoke softly, holding the hug for a moment more before dropping her hand, prompting Max to break the hug, albeit reluctantly. “Now throw THUG2 in there and prepare to get your ass handed to you on a platter, Caulfield.”

Another hour of video games later and then some dinner, cooked up by Joyce, and Max found herself back in Chloe’s room, sat on the edge of the bed in borrowed pyjama shorts and an old t shirt from Chloe’s drawer. It was like their sleepovers when they were kids and they found themselves having them more and more these days too, whether it was at Chloe’s house or Max’s dorm - although it was usually Chloe’s, as they had to sneak Chloe into Max’s dorm which was hard to do when Chloe was a loudmouth and the girl’s dormitories was gossip ground zero.

And so here they were in Chloe’s room. Or more, here Max was, as Chloe had just got into the shower. Max texted back Kate and Taylor, promising them another coffee shop outing soon before locking her phone and plugging it into its power cable across the room. She stood and before she crossed back over to the bed, something caught her eye by the TV; the Pirate Power mixtape Chloe had made her. 

She looked at it for a moment, wondering what could be on there and, after a brief battle with herself, allowed her curiosity to get the better of her and picked it up. She switched on Chloe’s hi-fi and inserted the disc, turning the volume dial down a little considering it was pretty late in the evening. She sat back on the bed and smiled at the soft guitar that began to spill out of the speakers.

It was ‘First Day of My Life’. Bright Eyes, of course. It was one of William’s favourite bands and they had grown up listening to this album. The lyrics always hit Max hard but they hit almost painfully when she realised that this song reminded Chloe of her. She sat and listened quietly, hearing the song she’d heard hundreds of times in a new way, looking over at the chaos of Chloe’s room. She smiled, emotion filling up in her chest at how content she felt, just being in the room surrounded by memories and Chloe’s stuff. She really did take up Max’s whole heart at times and, as she looked at a strip of dumb photos they’d taken at a dumb Urban store when they’d visited Seattle together tacked up on the side of the bookshelf by Chloe’s side of the bed, this was definitely one of those times.

After the song, she was so ready to see what other nostalgic tracks Chloe had decided on and was eagerly awaiting the next one. To her surprise, the next track was one she didn’t recognise. Well, at least not by the electronic drums and synth that was playing. She reached for the remote to the hi-fi, turning it up just a fraction so she could listen to the lyrics as the breathy vocals came in. 

_ Ain't never felt this way _

_ Can't get enough so stay with me _

_ It's not like we got big plans _

_ Let's drive around town holding hands _

Max sat in shock, the smooth electronic track still playing on. These lyrics weren’t platonic, they were anything but. It was everything she felt for Chloe but instead it was basically Chloe saying it to her in the form of a mixtape. Max’s insides flipped upside down and back again as she listened to the pre-chorus, her heart beating at double the songs bpm. 

Music still filled the room as Max got up from the bed and paced a little across the floor, wondering if she should turn the CD off and ask Chloe if she’d accidentally given her one meant for Rachel because there was no way that Chloe had meant to give her this one. But then again, Max remembered, why would Bright Eyes be on there if it wasn’t meant for her? Max had her finger on the off switch and was about to press it when the chorus came in. 

_ Oh, my heart hurts so good _

_ I love you, babe, so bad, so bad _

_ Oh, oh my heart hurts so good _

_ I love you, babe, so bad, so bad _

Max’s finger dropped from the controls, the warmth and sincerity of the lyrics washing over her in a comforting wave. She smiled a watery smile, tears pricking the corners of her vision. Did Chloe really feel this way? God, Max hoped so. 

Max was about to cross the room and sit back down but was distracted by the sound of the bathroom door opening; Chloe was out of the shower. Max panicked, knowing that she couldn’t be listening to the CD when Chloe came in, just in case it was meant for someone else or this song was on here by accident or-

“Night Mom!” Chloe yelled from just outside her bedroom door, prompting Max to blindly fumble with the hi-fi’s controls in an attempt to stop the music. She pressed a button and the room fell silent, just as the door swung open and Chloe stepped in wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around her body. Her blue hair was several shades darker due to the water still drenching it, evident by the droplets that steadily fell from her hair to the floor. Max breathed a sigh of relief but said sigh was cut off midway by the sounds of the drums kicking back in from the beginning.  _ Dang it! Great time to press rewind Max. Not.  _

The song played out and Max felt her cheeks grow from pink to red to crimson in a matter of seconds, doing nothing as Chloe stared at her with an unreadable wide eyed expression. 

“Um. Is this…?” Chloe swallowed, her voice barely audible over the soft music playing. Max took a few panicked breaths, hearing the first verse she’d already heard playing in the background before she nodded. Chloe mirrored her nod, tightening the towel around herself for something to do. Max didn’t know what to say but Chloe spoke before she had to say anything.

“I’m sorry. The plan was that I’d give it to you when you were at your dorm and then you could listen to it alone.” Max watched her scratch at the back of her neck nervously and in watching her do so, steeled herself for a trademark Chloe Price nervous ramble. 

“And if you felt the same then cool but if not, you could just pretend you’d never heard it and then we wouldn’t have to do the awkward I-don’t-like-you-like-that spiel which I guess we’re gonna have to kind of do now anyways.” Chloe winced guiltily, taking Max’s silence to mean rejection but in reality it was just Max’s brain desperately trying to function over the sound of her heart screaming from the rooftops that ‘CHLOE PRICE LOVES ME BACK’. 

Chloe sighed. “God, I’m so fucking stupid. I just thought that maybe you- I don’t know, I just guessed…” Max could see her begin to walk away, undoubtedly thinking that Max didn’t feel the same and it kickstarted Max’s brain into high gear. Her legs were moving her across the floor towards Chloe before she could even think about what she was doing.

“Oh god, I’m sorry Max, let’s just pretend it never-” 

Max cut her off by grabbing her bare shoulders and spinning her back to face her. There was a moment of silence where Chloe looked at her with a mixture of fear, surprise and something not quite readable swimming in her blue eyes. Then, just as the chorus kicked in, Max leant up and pressed her lips clumsily to Chloe’s, not quite landing right and with just a little too much force. She went to step back, embarrassed that that shocking excuse of a kiss was what she had led with but she was stopped by a cool, slightly damp, hand cupping her cheek and pulling her back in. 

This time, their lips met softly, Chloe tilting her head to the side so they fit together perfectly. She brushed her lips across Max’s gently, so feather light that Max only knew she was still there thanks to the warmth of her naked shoulders under her fingertips. Their lips moved together and Max was certain she had never felt a feeling like it. From the slow breathing that existed just between them, to the feeling of Chloe’s soft lips to the way Chloe curled her fingertips into the hair behind Max’s ears, it was all enough to knock the strength out of Max’s knees and leave her relying on Chloe to hold her up.

Max laughed a little into the kiss at hearing the lyric “That I'm hella obsessed with your face” in the song she had almost forgotten was playing. She wondered briefly if that was why Chloe had chosen it but the thought was washed away by Chloe dropping a hand to her waist and pulling her body even closer in, as she swiped Max’s bottom lip with her tongue. 

_ Wowser,  _ Max thought, not helping the slight gasp that bubbled out of her at the action. She wrapped her arms around Chloe’s shoulders, her right hand finding its way into wet hair and her left coming to rest gingerly on her neck. Max was glad to find Chloe’s pulse thudding at a similar rate to hers under her fingertips, the information instilling enough bravery in her to pull Chloe flush to the front of her- even if it meant the damp, dirty pirate towel getting Max’s nice warm pyjamas soggy. 

The song played out and the next one was halfway through when they finally pulled away from one another, both of them surreptitiously breathing heavy from a mix of oxygen deprivation and adrenaline. They were still wrapped up in one another and Max realised she was standing close enough to count the different shades of blue surrounding blown pupils in Chloe’s eyes. 

“Well, holy shit.” Chloe eloquently sputtered, making Max smile despite her mounting embarrassment now that the kissing had stopped. What did this mean for them now? Were they still friends? Did Chloe even want to be more than friends?

All of the questions were pinging around in Max’s mind but her dumbass brain settled on, “Uh huh.”

Nice one, Max.

“Max, I…” Chloe started, her hands fisting in the fabric at the waist of Max’s t shirt. Max let her take a breath in, wondering what was coming next. She hoped it was what the song had said except from Chloe’s lips. Which, now she thought about it, she’d quite like to kiss again…

“I, uh, I guess that means the feeling’s mutual?” Chloe smiled sheepishly, fingers still twisting nervously at Max’s waist. Max couldn’t help the nervous giggle that bubbled up and decided the best way to hide it was to pull Chloe in for another kiss. 

“So mutual.” Max murmured against Chloe’s lips as Chloe’s arms wrapped around Max’s waist and pulled her closer. 

Max briefly wondered what other songs were on that CD but all thoughts of CDs and music went out the window as she felt Chloe lift her off the floor into her arms and begin to clumsily walk to the bed. 

Well, Max supposed, she had all the time in the world to listen to the CD. Literally. And right now, her time was much better spent kissing Chloe Price with everything she had.

  
  



End file.
